Known for its broad selection of available software and consistent emphasis on ease of use, Ubuntu is quickly becoming the most popular Linux distribution amongst home users and Linux enthusiasts. Ubuntu 7.04 includes GNOME 2.18, Apache 2.2, Firefox 2.0.0.3, Python 2.5, Xorg 7.2 with a new and improved RandR extension, and many other popular open-source applications. Ubuntu 7.04 also includes version 2.6.20 of the Linux kernel which features integrated support for hardware-enhanced virtualization through the Kernel-based Virtual Machine. The inclusion of GNOME 2.18 brings a few minor improvements to Ubuntu, including a built-in Sudoku game, and an improved disk usage analysis tool that now displays visual graphs. Ubuntu 7.04 also includes built-in support for compositing and 3D desktop effects via Compiz in the default installation.

In Ubuntu 7.04, unsupported third-party software is now easier to install than ever before. The latest Ubuntu release includes a new built-in restricted driver management utility makes it easy to manage and toggle proprietary kernel modules, and a new system that simplifies and partially automates installation of proprietary video codecs. As a result of close collaboration with Sun, Java is now more tightly integrated with Ubuntu. Other popular third-party software components, like Adobe's Flash player, are also available through Ubuntu's software management interface.

Ubuntu 7.04 will be maintained for 18 months and commercial support is available directly from Ubuntu sponsor Canonical. Although Ubuntu ships with GNOME by default, KUbuntu and XUbuntu provide suport for KDE 3.5.6 and Xfce 4.4 respectively. Ubuntu 7.04 Server and Edubuntu are also available for download. The various download mirrors have been struggling under the burden of massive traffic, so users who want to get an installation ISO in a timely manner should probably use BitTorrent (Editor's Note: I was able to download the ISO in about 20 minutes via BitTorrent). For additional information, refer to the Ubuntu 7.04 Tour and release notes. The next major Ubuntu version, 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) is scheduled for release in October. Ubuntu 7.10 is likely to feature better integration of compositing and 3D effect functionality as well as GNOME 2.20.